


Glimpses: Present

by Thistlerose



Series: Glimpses [2]
Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Collection: Purimgifts Day 2, F/M, Holodecks/Holosuites, Literary References & Allusions, The Princess Bride References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-10
Updated: 2014-03-10
Packaged: 2018-01-15 07:35:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1296712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thistlerose/pseuds/Thistlerose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ezri and Julian have some fun in the holosuite.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Glimpses: Present

**Author's Note:**

  * For [QueenRiley](https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenRiley/gifts).



Florin Castle stood tall against the darkening sky, like the ridged back of a sleeping dragon. Torchlight flickered in the narrow windows and all along the battlements, glinting off polished shields and naked swords.

Ezri looked at Julian. “This won’t be easy,” she said.

A corner of his mouth curved upward. “Well, it wouldn’t be any fun if it were, would it?”

“No,” Ezri replied. “Of course not. Still... The king seems kind of paranoid, doesn’t he? I don’t want to toss that word around lightly, but it looks like he’s expecting an army, and he doesn’t even know we’re coming.”

“He’s on edge, that’s for certain. Rumor has it,” Julian said in a low voice, “that the king hasn’t slept a full night through ever since the Dread Pirate Roberts stole his bride. That was forty years ago. They say he gets his rest during the day – when he isn’t busy plotting to conquer Guilder – and spends his nights wandering through the corridors, peering into every shadow... Not alone, of course. He’s always accompanied by the five best swordsmen in the land. The king’s a coward.”

“He does seem insecure.”

“They _also_ say,” continued Julian, clearly relishing his role as storyteller, “that the king doesn’t just surround himself with human guards. They say the castle is booby-trapped, especially around the treasure vault, and that the traps are full of beasts.”

“Beasts?” Ezri raised a skeptical eyebrow. “What kind of beasts?”

“Spiders, I imagine. Perhaps snakes. We’ll find out.” 

He said that last bit with such obvious glee that Ezri had to laugh, despite the fact that she was very likely going up against snakes and spiders: not her idea of a fun date.

“Oh, Julian.” She dabbed at her eyes with the back of her hand.

He slid her a glance. In the fading light, his eyes were the color of warm honey. She felt his hand on her wrist, the smooth pad of his thumb sliding gently over her skin. “Are you up for it?” he asked teasingly.

“Oh, yeah,” said Ezri with a firm nod and a grin. “Bring it on, as they used to say on Earth. We can’t leave the Dread Pirate Roberts’s sword in Humperdinck’s hands. That would be like leaving Kahless’s _bat’leth_ in the hands of the Romulans.” As she spoke, the part of her that remembered being Jadzia – that still _was_ Jadzia, in a way – thrilled with pride ... and excitement. 

She – Ezri – enjoyed these holosuite adventures Julian took her on. At first, she wasn’t sure; she worried that, even though he said he loved her, and proved it in every way that mattered to her, he was only inviting her because Miles O’Brien was on Earth. But he’d soon allayed her fears. Though Julian enjoyed historic reenactments, when Ezri told him she didn’t like fighting real people – even just simulations of real people – he quickly switched to fantasy adventures like the one they were on now. And he seemed to have as much fun as she did.

Because she was suddenly feeling romantic and because, if their plan to sneak into the castle went awry they would soon be fighting for their lives, Ezri leaned over and kissed Julian’s mouth. He kissed her back, his long, slim fingers moving from her hand to her cheek, and sliding into her hair.

It was dark when they broke apart, though the afterglow of sunset still warmed the western sky. Glancing up, Ezri could see a sprinkling of stars. No moon yet. Now was their chance.

“Ready?” she asked Julian.

He gave her lips another quick kiss. “Ready,” he said.


End file.
